Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Role in Capitol Breach
WASHINGTON – In a significant development stemming from the events of January 6, 2021, Terry L. Allen, a 65-year-old resident of Spring Mills, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison. Allen was convicted of multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including assaulting law enforcement with a deadly or dangerous weapon during the Capitol breach, which disrupted a joint session of Congress convened to certify the 2020 presidential election results.
U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta handed down the sentence, which includes 24 months of supervised release and a $1,000 restitution payment. Allen’s felony convictions encompass civil disorder, assaulting officers with a deadly weapon, and entering restricted grounds with such a weapon. Additionally, he faced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and engaging in physical violence on Capitol grounds.
Court records and trial evidence revealed that Allen was present in Washington, D.C., near Garfield Circle at 12:43 p.m. on January 6, 2021, before the Capitol’s perimeter was compromised. By 12:53 p.m., Allen had crossed bike rack barricades marked with “Area Closed” signs, using a flagpole to strike the fencing. Following a breach at Peace Circle, Allen advanced to the West Plaza by 12:58 p.m., where he observed clashes between rioters and police.
Allen’s actions escalated as he joined other rioters in removing bike rack barricades, pushing them into the crowd. He was seen gesturing aggressively and confronting officers, eventually shoving two officers and using a flagpole as a weapon, prompting officers to report that someone was “using the flag as a spear.”
The confrontation continued as Allen remained on Capitol grounds. By 1:10 p.m., additional Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived to restore order. Allen was observed removing sections of fencing at 1:13 p.m. and, by 1:38 p.m., returned to the front lines armed with a wooden flagpole and a metal bar. In the ensuing altercation, Allen threw the metal bar at the police line, striking at least one officer.
The FBI arrested Allen on July 6, 2023, in Pennsylvania. His prosecution was managed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation into the January 6 events, led by the FBI’s Philadelphia and Washington Field Offices, continues. Since the incident, over 1,561 individuals across nearly all 50 states have been charged with crimes related to the Capitol breach, including over 590 for assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
